Hatrack River Forum: I hate airports

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Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :

I hate 'em, I hate 'em, I HATE 'EM!
[Mad]

The flying is ok. I like flying and I like airplanes, but the airports suck. Is it too much to ask to just let me go frickin' home?!

After a fantastic vacation sailing in the BVI (woot!), we were supposed to get home yesterday. Two flights one hotel and nine hours later, I'm finally back. The second flight back was delayed becvause of "bad weather", so we missed our third flight (we landed about 20 minutes after it left). Then, they didn't have any more flights until this morning. So we had to get a hotel room and get about 4 hours of sleep so we could get to the airport when they wanted us to.

But I'm back. I can sleep in my own bed now. [Smile]

...and even better...I can go see Star Wars now! [Wink]

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I'm glad you're home. But *looks around cautiously and whispers* can you try not to get airports mad at Hatrack? rivka is on a plane right now, and Jim-Me is flying in tonight, and this forecast of "possible scattered thunderstorms" is making me nervous.

Thanks. *eyes sky nervously*

Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :

I will NEVER go through Cincinatti airport again. I would rather walk to the next airport than have to go through there. The last time I was there, I had a 10 hour layover (a half hour at a time), and this time we had to just stay overnight.

Good luck to those of you flying though. I hope you guys don't get any delays or have any trouble. [Smile]

Posted by imenimok (Member # 7679) on :

I could live in the Pittsburgh airport.
If I never set foot in the Tallahassee airport again, I will die happy.

Bummer that your return trip was such a hassle, Eruve. I had a total of 5 flights to FL and back, and somehow, I made them all. Did the airline pay for the hotel?

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

Make sure you see EpIII in the new DLP-equipped Camelot... [Smile]

Posted by Eruve Nandiriel (Member # 5677) on :

quote:
Bummer that your return trip was such a hassle, Eruve. I had a total of 5 flights to FL and back, and somehow, I made them all. Did the airline pay for the hotel?

They gave us a discount I think. My Dad was the one paying, so I didn't really pay much attention.

Posted by imenimok (Member # 7679) on :

Ah. Well, I'm glad you made it home eventually.

Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :

Pittsburgh is definitely a sweet airport. What I hate is airports like Reagan National (I think that was it) where you have to go through security AGAIN as you sprint from one arm of the airport to the next. Carrying Christmas presents and a baby. With tickets that have the S for sucks, I mean, Detailed Security. [Mad]

Posted by Architraz Warden (Member # 4285) on :

quote:
It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on Earth has ever produced the expression "as pretty as an airport".

I would post the rest of the quote, but with the latest crackdown with copyrights I'll forego that. The first three paragraphs to Long Dark Teatime of the Soul (DNA of course) rank up there for one of the best beginning to a book.

Feyd Baron, DoC

Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :

Some airports definitely suck (e.g., Newark and Philadelphia), but I really like some other airports. I may be in the minority, but I like Hartsfield (in Atlanta).

Airports I've enjoyed:

Hartsfield
Frankfurt, Germany
SEA-TAC
Chicago Midway

Airports that made me want to kill people:

Philadelphia
Moscow
Dulles (D.C.)
Newark

And, feyd, I LOVE the Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul. While I love the Hitchhiker series, of course, the Dirk Gently books are my favorites of his work.

Posted by Architraz Warden (Member # 4285) on :

Heh, I have fond memories of the Airport in Frankfurt. I flew into europe for a study abroad class, and beat my prof and classmates to Frankfurt by about four hours. Most of that was spent on the tram reading, and going in loops around the airport.

Much Fun.

I'm fond of DFW, but I know I'm in a minority there. I'm less fond of Sky Harbor, and I know I'm not a minority in that. O'Hare... I don't think I was conscious enough to remember feelings about it.

Feyd Baron, DoC

Posted by Faire (Member # 8065) on :

Oh I'm glad I almost never have to deal with commerical airports.

My dad owns an aircraft refinishing company, and whenever we can, we fly private or charter jets out of his airport and land at similar places around the world. Customs can be more difficult and it's a longer wait to get cleared, but there's usually somewhere comfortable we can wait, and the planes are always nicer.

I did fly into Miami airport coming home from Costa Rica, however, and it actually made me cry, it was so terrible. I couldn't believe it. I'm never flying American Airlines again. I wrote letters and made angry phone calls after that experience.

I hate Miami airport.

Toronto airport is actually pretty good though, and Heathrow was pretty cool. I think Charles De Galle (i think) in Paris is my favourite so far. It's pretty cool.

Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :

heh...adam, my view of the Philly airport may be colored by the fact that I've been in it twice...once on my way to England, and once on my way back.

The way there was Christmas Day, the same day as the work stoppage. I was delayed in that airport for 10 hours, finally leaving at 3 AM, LOOOONG past the time when I could've actually purchased any food.

The way back...the flight landed late. It was an international flight, so we had to collect our luggage, have it re-screen and re-checked, and then sprint through the airport only to run into a MASSIVE line with the RUDEST airport security people ever...to be the ABSOLUTE last people loaded on to the plane, and have our luggage miss the flight, to be delivered to us next morning.

IAD...see, the tanks are not a plus for me.

And, Newark is another one of those airports that I was delayed at for an ABSURD amount of time, with nothing to do. It's poorly designed and ugly to boot.

Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :

I have mixed feelings about the Miami airport.

I should add the Santiago airport to my hate list, though.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

AW... thanks for the Douglas Adams... one of my faves of his and I'm now ashamed not to have used it.

Looking forward to seeing DFW again in about 7 hrs...

Posted by Gryphonesse (Member # 6651) on :

I have to say that I believe that HELL is probably modeled on Atlanta's airport. That place is a nightmare

Anyone have tips on JFK?? We're flying IAH to JFK and then JFK to Ireland in about two weeks - the kicker is that Continental and Aer Lingus don't have reciprocal ticketing agreements, so we have to retrieve our bags and check in again at JFK both ways... [Grumble]

Posted by imenimok (Member # 7679) on :

Moscow. Oh my. My first time was straight of out one of those movie scenes where everything is dark except there is a spotlight on you tied to a chair and when the lights do come on, you're in some old warehouse staring at a couple of angry, knife-weilding thugs.

The second time, it was daylight, so not quite so imposing.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

I think O'Hare is rather pretty. And Paris - De Gaulle is just frickin' sweet with the Jetsons tubes.

The only airports I'm not too fond of are Green Bay, Wisconsin because there are no signs telling you where to go and Salt Lake City because there is NO CHINESE FOOD ANYWHERE!

Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :

My Moscow airport experience:

I flew into Russia via St. Petersburg and out via Moscow (long story), so I've only been in it once. Since it was an international flight, we got there monumentally early (4-5 hours before flight time). We checked in, but were told we couldn't check our luggage until closer to the flight time. They then ushered us through the first security check.

Well, after that, there was another security check, which we could only pass through within two hours (I think) of our flight time. Bleah. So, we went to go back out--nothing doing. We stood in the little no-man's-land between the two checkpoints for three hours. No place to sit, nothing to do.

And, yes, Useless Air was responsible for what happened on our outbound flight and for the late landing. They cannot, however, take the blame for the rudest airport personnel ever. That, I blame entirely on Philly.

Oh, and...

quote:
The tanks are the best!

Spoken like a true youth. [Big Grin]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

[ROFL]

Did he ever figure out what (other than your magnetic personality [Wink]

) was setting it off?

Airports. [Razz]

Check-in and security at American @ LAX on Friday: 60+ minutes.

Check-in and security at American @ DFW this evening: 10 minutes.

Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :

I like airports for the same reasons I like train stations: The comings and goings of people. It's a hub, a starburst.

[Smile]

I don't like being stranded there as much as anyone, but to be there passing through...

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :

quote:
I may be in the minority, but I like Hartsfield (in Atlanta).

Well, I certainly don't agree with you. But then, I may have been biased by having to lug a baby, a car seat, a backpack diaper bag, and a bag full of baby food and utensils through two terminals (having, of course, forgotten the stroller.)